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Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 1894, 13 March 1876, Page 2

To the Editor, Sir,—l do not take in, the Evewing Star regularly, and that may account for my not seeing till to-day, last Thursday's issue of that paper, in which is professed, to be given an account of an entertainment for the scholars of St. Paul's Sunday School ■ that took place the previous evening. In the report I see it is stated that one of the songß " was remarkable for nothing but its absurdfty and want of decency." Absurd it is, and it was the absurdity of it that afforded the children so much amusement —one of the objects we had in view, in getting up the entertainment. Indecent it is not; there is not one word in it that the most fastidious person could point out as such, and your reporter in saying what he did, stated that which was contrary to fact. I defy him to point out a single indecent word or allusion in the song. Had there been such a thing, it would not have been sung where it was, neither would the person, who did so ever have sung it. I enclose a copy of the song for your perusal,- and if you find that what I say is correct, I look to you for a withdrawal of the statement circulated through the medium of your paper. It is a most serious charge to make against the management of our school that we allowed a song of an indecent character to be sung for the entertainment of our children.' I trust in the future that your reporter will either take no notice of any entertainment we may have, for if he does so that he will confine himself to what is correct in his report of the same. It is 'quite immaterial to me whichhe does.but'as Superintendent of the school I have a right to flemand that he adopt one or the other of these two courses. —Edward Hammond. V

A little girl named.Agnes Edgar, daughter of Mr William Edgaf,' contractor, was accidentally drowned, yesterday in the garden well, at the back of her father's house. The girl and her brother were playing together, when, all on a sudden, the lad missed his sister. He called her by name, and receiving no answer, looked into the well, and perceived her body floating on the water. He ran into the house and acquainted his father of the occurrence, who immediately got the body out of the well, and sent for Dr. Stockwell who, upon reaching the^hcmse, and examining the body, pronounce^t to be dead. An inquest will be held to/morrow afternooa at the Sfar Hotel, Newton. • ' '

. We regret that Untoward circumstances si ottM have robbed the Volunteer represent ( tatives' reception on Saturday of a great deal 1 of its intended genial character. Saturday is a bad day for such ceremonial as few men ] care to be away from their work on pay-day. To secure a good tnuster of volunteers and ' the use of tbe besb band procurable, the I welcome was fixed for four o'clock at the Britomart Railway station, and as the steamer conveying the representatives arrived in the morning Lieut. Payne was commissioned by Captain Burns to wait upon them at Oneliiinga, explaining the difficulty, and request that th-sywouldentertainthemselv.es at Mr Hardingtdn's Hote), till the departure of the three o'clock train when they would be ormaily received and c scortei tb rough the city. Unfortunately for the success of the welcome only the carbine champion took any notice of this reasonable, mtmlgo. The others came into fcoVrrt Sarly, and took no part in the demonstration which w»s intended for them equally with Gunner,; Bell. Captain Burns must be acquitted, of M desire to make the affair exclusive for*ws happen to know that thnt officer finding «Mt Major Gordon would not move in the matter, took the whole resposibility of preparation on his own shoulders Kven refreshment* at the drill-sbed, which were ordered for 6.00 people and were thrown open to the public, were ordered in this officers own name. It is certainly to be regretted that there was not more co-opera-tion between the various corps on such an occasion. This lassitude must he blamed in a. m-eat measure to apathy on the part of the officers. Among the latest items of intelligence from England comes the announcement of the death of *Dr Jabez Burns, the father of Pawson Burns, one of the leaders of the Temperance movement-.1:. The deceased was very popular, both as a' preacher among the Nonconformists, as an author of numerous religoua books, and as a public speaker in connexion with the anti-state-church party, and thoP eace,'and Tem'nerance societies. Dr Burns was born in 1805 of humble parents, in the radical town of Oldtaam, once represented by Cobbett, and since by W. J. Fox, (the Norwich weaver boy) of the league newspaner. After receiving his meagre education at Chester, Dr Burns was placed in a religoua drapery establishment where he became a student of scripture and felt an unconquerable desire to become a preacher. It would be difficult to ascertain the number of field and chapn] preanherp, which tbe drapers' shops of the world would have furnished. Shoemakers havo ororlucod their poets by scores, but drapers have supplied all parts of the civilised and uncivilised world with theological drapers by hundreds. Dr. Burns was one of the most fluent and most popular, and it is interesting to read his self-laudatory bits of autobiography; where he speako with a kind of joyous pride of his escapes from the drapers shops at Oldham and Leeds into surrounding woods, with the birds for his orchestra and the trees for his whispering audience. Dr. Burns, however, succeeded in becoming a popular preacher, and after a number of vicissitudes, settled down at Paddington'Green in 1835. as the minister of New Church-street's Baptist Chapel, which position he held for forty-one years. Among his numerous, publications his " Christmas Philosophy" seems likely to live the longest.

On the 9th inst the Wellington Cricket Association had a meeting to discuss the proposals of the professional All England Cricket Eleven visiting New Zealand nrxfc season. It wan resolved to communicate with the other Colonial clubs before coming to any conclusion.

The Naval Brigade have called a meeting for this evening at the Thames Hotel for the purpose of inaugurating a Rowing Club. Volunteer- Armstrong and the rest of the Thames Reproprntativcs at the late Wanganui Prize Fifing left Auckland to-day by tho s s Durham. A banquet and public reception await them at (-irahamstown.

Mr. George Sihbin sells to-morrow at 11 o'clock 20 tons of fine Adelaide flour, 100 mats Honolnlu sugar, 90 sacks of Fiji maize.

Yesterday evcnini?, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Rev. .1/ B. Simpron delivered highly interesting and carefully^ prepared discourse on Ireland's patron saint. The rev. gentleman gave a brief but exhaustive sketch of the career of St. Patrick, illustrating his theme by many anecdotes and much poetical description. Father Simpson bids fair to become a great favourite amongst his people. He is specially descriptive in his style of address,, and fails not to impress.

Yesterday afternoon, a little nfter five o'clock, a son of Mr Joseph Craig of Fortstreet, was missing from his home, and has not since been heard of. He was dressed in a light knicker-bocker sait and straw hat.

Mr Jenkins, M.P., the author of " Ginx's Baby," Agent-General for Canada (says_ our London correspondent), noisy and sometimes terribly silly as he is, has, made a hit in his "Devil's Chain," a five shilling hrochure on the drink traffic, which he has jupt published. It is a remarkable pamphlet-without doubt, very clever and very startling. Startling it most cerbainly is in its naked truth, for Mr Jenkins has tackled, subjects which through fal&e notions of decorum are too often blinked. He shows the horrid consequences to both sexes, and in all grades of society of an over-indulgence in drink, and he has not scrupled to call attention again to a certain notorious dancing' hall in London, much frequented by members of the upper ten. The probable consequence will be that this haunt of "gilded vice" will be closed this year, at any rate strong efforts will be made to stop the scandal. About midnight you may duriag the season see half a mile^ of broughams stretching down the street, driven by "tigers," these boys and broughams belonging to flash members of the demi-monde, for whose amusement we license these rooms by Acii of Parliament. Somewhere no doubt these things will go on, but we ought not to permit such an open display of wickedness. The journeyman bakers of Auckland held their half-yearly meeting on Saturday evening at the British Hotel, which was well attended. The report and balance-sheet shewed the society to be in a healthy condition. The bakers' business was, in the old country, considered unhealthy, but bakers in the colony are not subjected, to such changes of cold and heat, nor are they compelled by " hot rolls " to keep such unseasonable hours as are the white slaves of England. As a proof that the floury trade is healthier in the colony, we point to the fact that the Auckland bakers have had but one sick brother during the last half-year. The report and balance-sheet were utismtnously adopted, and the whole of the officetf re-elected. A special parade of the members of the Hobson Company will take place to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at head quarters Wellington-street. .' A special meeting of the members of the Templar Benefit Society is announced for to-morrow evening, at the usual place. The Concert given at Otahuhu on Wednesday evening to raise funds for school requisites gave the greatest satisfaction. There wbs a very good attendance. Messrs W. and F. Reed came over from the Thames on purpose, and their programme of twenty pieces was one of the most entertaining things imaginable. The members of the Naval Brigade will meet this evening afc Mrs Grattan's, Thames Hotel, for the purpose of forming a rowing club, most of the members have a decided predilection for the water. The members of No. 3 Company, A.R.V., are reminded that the annual inspection will tike place on Thursday evening next, at the usual hour. Every member is particularly requested to be present, as this parade materially affects the payment of the annual capitationi-grant. The:first class-firing will be held onjWednesday morning next,

It will be seen by advertisement that the s.s. Ptowena will leave for Tauranga on Wednesday ntxt at 5 p.m., the time being altered to enable the boat to get down in time for the regatta on Friday. At the request of the Tauranga ressidents Captain McGregor has consented to the steamer being used as flagship on the occasion. A simple casfi cams on to-day at the Police Court about an old bucket that had beer, in use font years at least, and wag considered to bo worth sixpence. Legal expenses and court costs amounted to about £0 9s, which would have purchased fcrty4hree new buckets at 3a each. Verily this is folly !

Mrs Mary Oolclougb, better known by her literary uM tie vlwmo of Polly Plum, has returned to New Zealand from her Australian tour in the cause of woman's freedom, and is sftiyiiig jit present in OhrJstehureh.

The Parnell Highway Board have received the sum of £457 from the Colonial Treasurer, being an allowance at the rate of 13s 4d in the £ on the amount of t,he annual rates collected. The promises of the General Government as regards grants of money have been so often broken that the sudden windfall has come rather unexpectedly, and ha 3 naturally created a gond deal of interest touching tbe way it will be spent. At a meeting of the Board on Saturday ->evening it was resolved that the first work carried out should be the improvement of the 'direct road from the railway viaduct to the Barrel Hotel. At present the ,'gradicrifc ia by no means regular, and ■■trie steepness and inequalities of the road cause all vehicles to take the back road skirting Mechanics' Bay. By raising the level of the road about four feet at a distance of a hundred yards from the viaduct and tapeting away up and down the hill a much easier ascent can be obtained, and this it is purpesed to do at an expense of between three and four hundred pounds. Mr Hammond has received instructions to prepare the plans and specifications, which will be ready in a few days. The importance of this work is not to be estimated from its local value, though that is undoubtedly great. It must he borne in mind that the formation of the new Beach Road from Mechanics' Bay to Custom - house - street will remove the necessity of vehicles negotiating the pipe-opening hills of Alten Roud and Shorfcland-street, and will probably render the route via Pirnell the popular channel for the traffic frbrn the "i* Sou* Road, which at present prefers ie enter Auckland by the Kyber Pass Road and Upper Queen street. When the Beach Road is finished, the hill upon which the new.' work is proposed to be done will be the only one of any importance on the Parnell route. It ig therefore advisable, if Parnell wishes, that is to say, to attract traffic and; go ahead, in htead of lingering on in its present aristocratic languor, that the Board should try to smooth down this the only rough place left, and in our opinion they have made_ a very wise choice of •■ an undertaking on which to expend their extra funds. While on this subject we cannot avoid calling attention to the unnecessarily circuitous course which the Beach Road is made'to take by being carried right under the cliff till it joins the Strand Road close to the base of Constitution Hill, instead of as it might be with a little management on the part of the Harbour Board, over whose property it would trespass, being taken across from Dr Campbell's frontage to a point opposite Stanley-Btreet; We are constantly hearing of buildings being pulled down, property being boughty arid heavy compensation being paid to ttake the highways of traffic in cities more*direct. So it will be in years to come with the Beach Road ■if the present plan is persisted in. How much better would it \>e before the neighbouring allotments r.re let to save all this future expense and trouble by having the road made atraight at once. Business of importance will bo introduced this evening at the Harbinger of Peace Good Templar Lodge, Cook-street. The Lodge will be formally opened in the usual terms by the Worthy Chief at half-past seven o'clock.